Athena VC Festival launches in Leeds

A new festival is set to “celebrate and elevate women in venture capital”, bringing together investors, founders and industry leaders in Leeds. 

The Athena VC Festival, hosted by Lifted Ventures, will take place on 13 May 2025 at Nexus, University of Leeds, aiming to drive equity, innovation and collaboration in the sector.

With women-led start-ups statistically more likely to reach billion-dollar status, the event will address the funding gap, offer networking opportunities and showcase female-led ventures through live pitch sessions. 

Jordan Dargue, co-founder of Lifted Ventures and the Athena VC Festival, said: “Although female investors are more likely to invest in female founders, only 18 per cent of decision-makers in venture capital are women. 

“Women continue to face systemic barriers in venture capital, from limited access to influential networks to biases in decision-making.

“Athena VC is set to be the largest Women in VC event outside of London and the South East.

“In this inspiring event we provide practical tips on how to succeed as a woman in the investment sector, hear from women who have already paved the way to creating successful careers and discuss the impact that women leaders are having in the investment sector.’’

The festival is part of Lifted Ventures’ broader mission to increase capital flow to female founders and amplify women’s influence in investment.

Helen Oldham, co-founder of Lifted Ventures, added: “The festival embodies the attributes of the Goddess Athena - wisdom, bravery, and resourcefulness. 

“Our goal is to celebrate and elevate women in VC, build a community of change-makers, showcase success stories and opportunities and drive inward investment to the North and beyond.

“Together, we can reshape the landscape for the better.”

To find out full details of the event, see here.

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